Valuable Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.
The half-dozen missing sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority informed the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that steps had been implemented to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.
The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that law enforcement were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the institution and additional people were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It contains historical records dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was established at Dura Europos.
The facility was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the internal strife. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished numerous temples and other structures at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the demolition as a war crime.
Many cultural items were also lost or taken from dig sites and collections.
